(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ginning cotton in a broad sense. I.e., the ginning process includes not only the separation of the seed and lint from seed cotton, but also the cleaning of trash from lint cotton after the seeds have been removed. Specifically, this invention relates to lint cleaning and more particularly to a rolling feed bar for feeding a layer of lint cotton to a saw cylinder of a lint cleaner.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Before this invention, lint cleaners in cotton gins were well known. See for example, HICKS #3,984,896 and HORN #4,528,725. Linter cleaners (See REDDICK #3,355,776) are somewhat related but have certain different considerations from lint cleaners used in cotton gins.
Due to the nature of harvest, modern cotton gins will have a capacity to process 5,000 to 25,000 pounds (2,250 to 11,500 kg) of lint an hour. Other considerations besides high capacity for a lint cleaner in a cotton gin are to remove trash from the cotton lint and also not to damage the cotton fiber. Prior to my invention the layer of lint cotton was fed to the saw teeth of the lint cleaner by a stationary press bar or feed plate. Also, the layer of cotton was pressed against the teeth by stationary bars such as seen in the HORN '725 patent as elements 70, 78, 80, and 82.
However, at high capacities, this often led to a condition called "nipping" or "napping". This particularly is identified by High Velocity Inspection (HVI) classing equipment. Cotton with excessive nipping or napping will have penalties assessed against it, reducing its sale price. This nipping or napping is twisting of the individual fibers of the lint. It is believed that they are primarily caused by these stationary bars pressing the layer of lint cotton into the saw teeth.